Sigma Art 35mm 1.4 DG DN

Given that the Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG DN Art is available on two competing lens mounts, our final thoughts depend to some extent on which mount you're shooting with. Of course its image quality, AF performance, handling and build are essentially identical on both mounts, but the competition on each mount differs, and E-mount shooters have access to Sony's truly excellent 35mm F1.4 G Master lens, albeit at a higher price-tag than Sigma's rival.

Highly Recommended – Superb and even sharpness even at open aperture, the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG DN Art is a fast and reliable performer.

The Sigma 35mm f1.4 DG DN Art is a quality wide-angle lens for mirrorless cameras that’s capable of attractive rendering and sharp results. In my tests with a pre-production sample, the bokeh in blurred areas was not only a step-up from the original DSLR version, but up there with models costing a lot more. Meanwhile the focused details are okay at f1.4 and become very crisp if you can close the aperture even just one stop to f2. In terms of Sigma’s own native mirrorless lenses, it slots comfortably between the f2 and f1.2 models in terms of price, size and overall quality, so a step-up from the cheaper and more compact model, but a respectful step-back from the flagship f1.2. If you’re an L-mount owner looking for a relatively affordable 35, Sigma has you covered with its three native 35s. Sony owners however have a lot more choice. In my tests the more expensive Sony 35 1.4 G Master may have been similar in rendering style and only a little worse in terms of focus breathing, but delivered visibly crisper and more contrasty results at f1.4, plus its focusing on the Alpha 1 was much more consistent while also supporting the fastest burst speeds in AFC. The G Master is simply the better lens, but it’s also $500 more expensive. Sigma can match its optical quality, but using the similarly-priced 35 1.2 and in my tests it didn’t focus as reliably as the Sony lenses. Interestingly it’s the Sony 35 1.8G which arguably gives the new Sigma 1.4 the greatest competition - it’s a key rival to weigh-up. As a pre-production sample that’s all I can say for now!